


Currently untitled Wally West one shot.

by splishsplashxox



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Coming Out, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-15
Updated: 2018-09-15
Packaged: 2019-07-12 10:28:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15993335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splishsplashxox/pseuds/splishsplashxox
Summary: Wally's parents come to visit Wally in his junior year. He has news beyond the new dog he's rescued. But being honest about something still trying to understand himself isn't an easy task.One shot, potentially not a one shot. College AU.





	Currently untitled Wally West one shot.

Though Wally was 21––nearly 22––years old, he was always going to drop everything to go hug his mother. Today was no exception. His folks had flown all the way to Boston, which meant that they had taken at least one connecting flight. Wally was overjoyed to see them. He had come back to campus early this school year to host conditioning camp for all the fall and winter athletes. Plus he had spent a large portion of the summer home travelling. It was going to be good to see his parents again. 

 

As Mary waved Wally down from the curb, she started dancing in place. “Wally! Look at you!” She dropped her bag and constricted Wally in a bear hug, leaving a lipstick mark of a kiss on his cheek. “How’s my perfect boy?” 

 

“Hi, Mom!” Wally said. Though there was concern for the structural integrity of his ribs after that embrace, he was glad to get one of Mary West’s hugs. “How was your flight?” Once Mary released him, Wally shook his father’s hand and smiled in greeting. “Hi, Dad.” 

 

“Oh, those pilots on those airlines claim they know what they’re doing, but really I think they just take any guy off the street, dontcha know? They only have two parts they really need to control, the takeoff and landing, and it’s always so rough. The rest is just left up to computers!” Mary prattled on about the questionable validity of major airline pilots while Wally helped his father load their bags in the trunk. “But any who, we’re here in New England safe and sound!” 

 

Wally pulled the passenger seat forward and climbed into the backseat with Bunbury so his parents could sit up front. 

 

“Is this my grandpuppy?” Mary asked. 

 

“Yeah, Mom. This is Bunbury. We just call him Bun for short.” Wally scratched the dog behind the ears as the dog reached forward to investigate Mary’s reaching hand. 

 

“Why’s he got such a funny name?” Rudy asked. He was adjusting Wally’s seat so that he could drive. Rudy seemed to have a map of the entire world programmed in his head, so he hardly ever needed directions. 

 

Wally didn’t think Bun had an odd name, but then he’d had the dog for a month now so he supposed he had gotten used to it. “He’s an ex-racing dog, Dad. It’s like racehorses. They’ve always got weird names.” 

 

“Oh, for cute!” Mary said. “My baby grandpuppy Bunny.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a ziplock full of her homemade snickerdoodles. “I was saving these for you and Dick, but your dog is just so skinny. He needs some meat on his bones!” She opened the bag and handed a cookie to the dog. 

 

“Mom! I just cleaned the car this morning. At least wait until we’re back in Rhode Island before you start fattening up my dog.” 

 

“Wally, how are your studies going?” Rudy asked. He reached across the console and pulled out a cookie from the bag. As he shifted up into fifth gear, Wally felt his car buck and grind in protest. “What’ve you done to these gears, anyways? I spent a lot of time fixing them up!” 

 

“School is good. You need to slide the gear shift slowly into fifth, Dad. Remember when we almost dropped the engine the first time you tried that?” Wally tensely reached his hand forward before drawing it back to his chest. Ariella was tough. She could bear Rudy’s driving for the next half hour without too much protest. 

 

Rudy laughed loudly. “Wally, you know that was because I was showing you what not to do when driving stick!” Rudy and Wally had spent nearly a year restoring the classic Charger. 

 

“Sure, Dad.” Wally sat back, hoping he could keep himself from leaping into the front seat and pushing his father out on the side of the expressway to protect his car. 

 

*** 

 

Once they had settled back in at the hotel, Wally drove his parents to campus to show them around. They hadn’t had a chance to see his university campus in quite some time. Most of what they wanted to see was his setup in the TA office, as well as hearing his professors brag about how wonderful he was. Wally had gone ahead and warned Barry they were coming so he could arrange for an urgent meeting at the bar, where Wally knew his parents would never deign to go. 

 

“So where’s that roommate of yours, Richie? Ricky?” Rudy asked. 

 

“Dick. And he’s got a, uh, prior engagement with Bruce but he’ll join us this evening.” Wally led the way to the gardens, where one his Maymester projects was hard at work. He had worked with the biology department to create enzymes that helped organic material break down faster to make compost for the new garden beds. Along the way, they walked right past the place where Wally had told Dick just a week ago that he was in love with him. The memory sent a jolt of electricity up his spine. 

 

Rudy looked around as they walked, deciphering whether his money was being well spent on Wally’s tuition. “What’s this evening?” he asked. 

 

Wally stopped in front of the garden beds. “Well, I thought I’d cook dinner, and seeing as Dick is my roommate, I wouldn’t ask him to stay out of the place he lives.” 

 

“You see Dick all the time. We’re not sure we want to share you!” Mary said. 

 

“Mom, you’re not sharing me.” Wally shook his head. “It’s complicated.” 

 

“It’s only complicated if you make it complicated, son. And if you want to make it complicated, well then that’s just tough tomatoes! Your mother and I just flew plum across the country to see you. What’s complicated about that?” 

 

“Dad, I’m really not ready to get into this discussion just yet, alright?” 

 

“What kind of discussion are you leadin’ on there, son?” Rudy was starting to get indignant. 

 

“Rudy! Wally!” Mary stepped in the middle of the men. “Let’s keep walking, grab a pop.” She smiled weakly from her husband to her son, wanting to diffuse whatever tension was forming. 

 

“No, Mary. I wanna know what Wally is getting on about here.” 

 

“Mom’s right. Maybe a pop wouldn’t be a bad idea.” The dining hall was still open, so Wally could easily run in and grab a few bottles, give himself some time to think. 

 

“What’s going on? You’re all dodgy all of a sudden. Are you gettin' kicked out of school? Are you off the track team? Did you lose your scholarships?” Rudy, just barely the same height as Wally at this point, squared up to his son. 

 

From Rudy, Wally had inherited his jawline and head shape. But Wally’s eyes were all Mary. Wally never felt like he was looking at someone related to him when he looked at his father. 

 

“Are you in some kind of trouble, son? Do you need money? A lawyer?” 

 

“Robert!” Mary hissed, smacking her husband on the arm quickly. 

 

“No! No, Dad. Nothing like that.” Wally wondered if the anxiety in his mind, that worked in his chest to stifle his air supply, was visible on his face right now. Hi parents seemed to be latching onto any weakness he presented and just assumed the worst. 

 

“Lord! Just tell us what’s going on, Wally.” Mary looked defeated already, as though it was something horrible Wally had done. She looked like she was watching Wally’s future crumble right before her eyes. The heartbreak was palpable in every syllable she uttered. 

 

Rudy crossed his arms over his chest and then shifted so that he placed fists on his hips instead. He bounced from foot to foot, clearly perturbed by whatever was the problem here. 

 

Wally looked between his parents, trying to decipher their worst fears in this moment. Had the news ever once crossed their minds? Did they really think Wally wouldn’t come to them before now with the situations they had listed off? Did they trust him that little? “Maybe we should head back up to my dorm. Let’s sit and talk.” 

 

“Wallace Rudolph West!” Mary snapped. She stepped forward so that she was alongside Rudy now. Her expression of worry had morphed into one that was the center of Wally’s childhood fears. This was her “you’re asking for trouble” face, the judge doling out the punishment for the accused. “For crying out loud, just tell us what’s going on!” 

 

Mary and Rudy had practically cornered Wally at this point. His autonomic nervous system was sounding all the alarms and waving all the flags. Everything in his body said to run. But his mother’s voice and his father’s stance had paralyzed him. He wished Dick was here right now. He needed the support. “Mom, Dad...” 

 

They nodded, practically holding their breaths. Rudy rotated his hand, as though he was reeling the statement out of Wally like a fish on a line. 

 

“I’m... I’m in love.” 

 

“Oh, is that all?” Rudy asked. The color started to flow back into his face. “You really had us going there, son.” 

 

“What’s her name?” Mary asked. The wedding bells seemed to chime with her voice. Wally could practically see her planning a wedding. 

 

He swallowed nervously, feeling ready to throw up. “It’s... It’s Dick.” 

 

Mary laughed casually, waving her hand through the air dismissively. But when Wally said nothing, when Wally’s expression remained the same, she melted into despair followed closely by disgust. Wally couldn’t tell if the tears in her eyes were from sorrow or anger. “Excuse me?” she asked quietly. 

 

Rudy hadn’t said anything. He wore a seamless poker face while he thought. But Wally could see his knuckles getting white as the fists on his hips balled tighter and tighter. 

 

Silence quickly filled the space between Wally and his parents. Wally stood, uncharacteristically speechless. His heartbeat echoed in his ears as he waited for Rudy or Mary to budge. He wasn’t sure if he should be ready to run for his life or if he should hug his parents or wait out the discomfort. There was no clear indication for Wally to know what to expect in the next few moments. 

 

“Rudy, call us a cab.” Mary turned and started walking away. 

 

“Mom!” Wally said. He trotted after her, swerving around Rudy who was cemented to the spot on which he stood. “Mom, please talk to me.” 

 

“No,” she said. She didn’t even look in Wally’s direction. 

 

“Why not?” Wally was desperate for something, whether it was a shouting match that would echo all over campus or a simple condemnation. He couldn’t stand this lack of commitment to a stance on the issue. “Just tell me what you’re thinking, please.” 

 

“No, Wallace, I won’t.” She continued to walk away, but if her intention was to walk off campus, she was walking the wrong direction. 

 

“Mom! Why are you like this? Why--” 

 

“No, Wally, why are you like this?” She pivoted on her heel, suddenly larger and more terrifying than she had ever been in Wally’s whole life. “Why are you setting out to make your life so hard? What will we tell your grandparents? What about your farther and me? Who’s going to give us grandchildren? Why are you choosing to be gay?” 

 

Wally had loosely planned out responses to such questions from people who might judge him. But his mother was the last person on earth he ever expected to hear these questions from. Wally drew his hand to his chest, shocked that there had not actually been a knife plunged through his sternum. “Mom... I don’t even know if I’m gay.” 

 

“What are you saying? Why on God’s green earth are you dating a man, Wally?” Her voice got shrill. She waved her arms about at some questionable moments in her speech. “Why are you doing this?” 

 

“Because I love him, Mom. Because he makes me happy. Happier than anything and anyone else.” 

 

Mary let a few tears fall. “Why would you do this to me?” 

 

“This isn’t about you at all!” 

 

“Where did I go wrong, Wally?” 

 

“You didn’t, Mom. I’m doing great.” 

 

“Then why?” The anger flashed in her eyes like lightning. Mary might have been half a foot shorter than Wally, but she had him cowering like she was ten feet tall. 

 

“Because he makes me happy. Because I’m embracing all aspects of who I am.” 

 

“This isn’t who you are!” 

 

“Mom. Why are you fighting this so hard?” Wally didn’t understand why she was so upset. Especially compared to the things they had been guessing earlier, this was wonderful news. Yet here Mary stood, accusing him of deliberately plotting against her because of the person with whom he shared his bed, his heart. 

 

“Rudy!” Mary said. “Talk some sense into your son. I can’t look at him right now.” She marched away, hands covering her face. 

 

Wally looked down at the ground, considering the marks on his shoes for a moment. He looked back up, surprised to see that Rudy had finally moved. 

 

Rudy looked Wally in the eyes, still wavering somewhere. He shook his head and sighed, the hairs in his moustache blowing in his breeze. “I’ll talk to her. We’ll see you in the morning.” He raised a hand to Wally’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, before following Mary. 

 

Frozen now himself, Wally looked around the garden. As far as he knew, no one had witnessed the events of that conversation. Part of him wishes that someone had. He didn’t want to relive that conversation when he talked to Dick later in the evening. He wasn’t even sure he had really lived it just now.


End file.
